Residents of Irwindale, Calif. have filed a suit against the company that makes Sriracha hot sauce, demanding that all production cease, after reports of "burning eyes, irritate throats and headaches" surfaced.
The Los Angeles Times reported that city attorneys filed the suit in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Monday, on grounds that the smell was so potent that it had become a public nuisance. Some citizens living near the factory said that they had been forced to move all outdoor activities indoors. NBC Los Angeles reported that some residents of San Gabriel Valley city vacated their homes for the time being, until the putrid fumes subside.
Legal officials have met with staff from Huy Fong Foods, the LA- based company that produces the popular hot sauce. On Oct. 1, officials from the company said that they had intentions to "do everything possible to abate the odors." But on Oct. 16, the legal officials from the city were informed by an employee of the company during a second meeting that there was no odor problem.
Rita Sanchez, who lives nearby the factory in Irwindale, told CBS Los Angeles that the stench, coupled with the burning sensations felt throughout the nasal passage and face can make it "kind of unbearable." But another woman living in the area, Sabrina Cabrera, said she wasn't too disturbed by the smell, likening it to a scent she's picked up from her neighbor's cooking in the past.
A Los Angeles judge is slated to consider the city's complaint on Thursday, NPR reported.
Huy Fong Foods has seen an explosion of popularity with their Sriracha hot sauce in the past decade. The condiment became such a sought-after item that the company moved its production site to a 655,000-square-foot factory in Irwindale in 2012.
Chief executive and founder David Tran said that Huy Fong Foods has tried adding filters to its exhaust vents on two occasions. But the deep, smoky flavor of the sauce is what makes it so well-loved, and taking away from that aspect of taste could affect the product overall.
"If it doesn't smell, we can't sell," Tran told the LA Times. "If the city shuts us down, the price of Sriracha will jump a lot."
